The Trials of the Gods
by fangthewolf
Summary: Percy has given up everything to make the people he loves happy. In return, Aphrodite gives him a second chance at godhood. Now a god, Percy has to learn how to be responsible over his three domains; Heroes, the Sea and the Lost. Aphrodite will not let him do it alone, and will teach him how to love again, if only he let her do it. Full summary and pairings inside.
1. Prologue

Full summary: Percy, having finally given up on love, decides to leave it all behind. He's too dangerous; too enticing for the monsters. He stays in his room for three days, determined to die quietly, until Aphrodite offers him the one thing he turned down and never thought he could have again; godhood. Once a god, Percy has to learn from his father, Zeus and Hades how to control his three domains: the Sea, Heroes and the Lost. It's a long and hard journey, one that Percy will not be able to face alone without slowly going insane from the responsibility of it all. But Aphrodite has a trick up her sleeve and will not let her favourite god go once she's made him the man he should always have been. She'll make him believe in love again, no matter how long it takes...

Pairings: (future) Triton/Sea!Percy, (future) Nico/Lost!Percy, (future) Jason/Hero!Percy.

Relationships: Aphrodite/Percy (creator/creation relationship)

A/N: So, this clearly isn't the SYOD story I should probably be focusing on, but at least it _is _a story. This is something that has been swarming around in my head for a while, so I will be focusing on this a lot more than anything else; I am absolutely determined to finish this as a rather long story. As a general idea, this is more of a complicated love story than anything else, so keep that in mind while reading it. Though there will be other things within the story, such as how Percy becomes a god and learns his role, there will be a heavy focus on love.

I do not know how often I will update this, but I hope to do so fairly frequently. Note that the second chapter is eight pages long, so you will know roughly how long it should take for me to write them. Not that I will stick to a routine; this story will be updated as soon as I finish a chapter, but the time it takes to write the chapter will vary.

One more thing: This chapter is in the 3rd person, but all chapters after it will be in the 1st. That was done on purpose for simplicity's sake.

Now that I've got that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Percy sighed, something that was small and sad, as he curled up on his bed just that little bit more, covering his face with his arms as best as the thin appendages would allow him. He knew that his mother was still outside the door; he could hear her soft breaths as she whispered to herself, could feel the motherly warmth she always exuded, and something cold panged in his heart. He was worrying her. Even when she had found a perfectly normal life with Paul - the man she loved so dearly, the man that would never just up and leave her after a few weeks of courtship - she still had to worry about her unnatural son sired by a father whom had left her in the dust as soon as she had given birth to the cretin. She didn't deserve it, not after all she had been through, after all she had done, but truthfully… he had nowhere else to go.

His relation with Annabeth had quickly failed. Their time apart while he was at the Roman camp was simply too damaging; she moved on, found herself a girlfriend in Piper McLean, and dropped him as soon as he had stepped foot on the Argo II. Of course, Percy being the demigod he was didn't mind when it all ended. As long as she was happy, he was happy. And she was so very happy. All she had to do was look at the daughter of Aphrodite and a smile would bloom across her face. Even a Seaweed Brain such as Percy had seen it, and he couldn't deny that she looked much more content in Piper's company than she did in his. So he did the only thing that could make his best friend the happiest girl to ever exist; he pulled back from their friendship, gave all of the time they would have spent together to Piper, and forgot all about her. It hurt, it really did, both then and now, but he knew had been the right thing to do. She was still happy with Piper, even more so now that he wasn't being selfish and hogging the Wise Girl all to himself. But it still hurt.

He left camp after that. People were so happy with their relationships, some old and others new, that he just couldn't stay. He'd already killed so many happy couples. The monsters loved him, loved his scent, and would always try to find him. If he left, they'd be that little bit safer and could easily live in New Rome, creating their own families and live to a ripe old age. He couldn't stay. He wasn't selfish anymore; he left as soon as he was able to, running back home to live with his beloved mother and step-dad.

Now, he had to leave home. His mother was pregnant with Paul's child. It was wonderful; something Percy was looking forward to, especially since he knew his little half-sibling was a girl, but it meant something so shocking to Percy that he just couldn't take it. His mother had started a totally new and normal life away from the gods, and the child was the final piece of evidence to prove it. Staying now would be selfish. He couldn't take away his mother's new life, not with the things that tried to kill him following all the time. He couldn't risk the life of his new sister, nor could he risk the love between his mother and Paul. He wasn't selfish anymore. He wasn't.

And thus was why he laid on his bed, his mother standing outside the door in worry for her messed up and dangerous child. He knew that he couldn't risk her, nor the family she had made or the life she had been returned to, but he just didn't have anywhere else to go. So he was determined to stay quietly on his bed, refusing any food or drink, curled up on himself in order to make his body smaller for the monsters in the hopes that they overlooked him, until a new opportunity came to him or until he eventually died of hunger or starvation, whichever came first.

Percy continued his Faust for another three days, ignoring his mother's calls to him and Paul's weak knocks on the door. He knew that, eventually, they would give up and leave him alone. They'd forget sooner or later, too busy with the new baby and their own lives to care about him. Even though it hurt to think that his mother could abandon him, he knew it had to be done. Once they'd left and forgotten, once he'd finally gone, they would be able to live normal, easy lives as mortals, far away from the painful and fatal world of the gods.

With a quiet sob, Percy rolled over on his bed, bringing his arms down from his face to touch his grumbling stomach. It hurt like hell, but he'd had worse. The emotional pain hurt more than the physical pain, anyway. Another sob tore from his lips, slightly louder this time, and he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Percy felt calm. The pain in his heart subsided, his stomach stopped its aches and burns, his eyes stopped itching and every saddening thought left his mind in an instant, leaving him with something warm and complete. A weight pressed down on the bed and a loud creak sounded from the springs, followed by a soft sigh and a hand in his hair. The woman's fingers – they were manicured, so he assumed they were female, unless a random drag queen had found their way into his room – threaded through his once silky black locks, massaging his scalp gently and further easing the pain from his body. Slowly, as if afraid of what he'd see, Percy opened his eyes and faced the person in front of him.

Percy was shocked to find that the woman was astoundingly beautiful even though she had no makeup on, though it was not the woman's looks that shocked him so much as what the beauty meant. Only one woman on earth could be that undeniably gorgeous, and that was…

"Aphrodite."

The goddess smiled, something sad and painful, and continued to pet his hair. She slowly moved closer to him, curling an arm underneath his sickly frame and drawing him close to her warm body, fitting him snugly against her satisfying curves. He took in a deep breath, drawing in the scent of roses and strawberries, along with some fragrant perfume that surely couldn't exist. He carefully lifted an arm, placing it around her waist and squeezing lightly, trying to pull her as close to him as possible, all the while nuzzling into her long, slim neck. She let him press against her form, still threading her fingers through his curly locks, and gently pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

For several moments the two lay in silence, Percy longing for the warmth and liberation the goddess provided, and Aphrodite more than willing to give it. She eventually stopped the movement of her fingers, gently sliding them down the back of his neck and to the small of his back, her hand softly cupping his former mortal spot. He tensed lightly as she did so, but a soft shush calmed him down again, leaving him to melt into her embrace. Aphrodite lifted her head slightly, just enough so that she could comfortably reach his ear and whispered to him, unwilling to break the gentle mood that had finally settled over the tormented demigod.

"Perseus, you are my favourite demigod. It has hurt me to watch you suffer like this. I have wanted to give you something for all the things you have done for us, for all the heartbreak and pain you have struggled through…" she sighed once, nuzzling her nose against his bony cheek, "I'm not powerful. I can't give you super strength or enhanced powers, and I doubt you will want anything else I could offer, but what I can do for you is something even better."

He pulled back slightly from the embrace, taking note of the hopeful smile and shimmering eyes of the goddess. She gently brushed his fringe away from his eyes, leaning in to place a soft kiss to his nose as her smile grew wider.

"You were offered godhood once. The motion was passed, but you turned it down for the love of your friends and family. Now, you have sacrificed that love for the safety and happiness of those same people. So I can put forward the question once again, and you can stand before the gods and state your answer; will you join us, Perseus Jackson?"

She waited for his reply, eagerly watching the way his eyes slowly lit back up to their original sea green; the way his skin seemed to glow with health like it once had and the way his chapped lips carefully pulled back into a smile. She felt more than saw the nod against her chest, a gentle flicker of hope bubbling inside the put of her stomach. And then he said the words she had been waiting for, the two simple words that held so many meanings, but conveyed the same feelings each and every time she heard them.

"I do."


	2. Second Chances

Music listened to while writing:

Christina Perri – A Thousand Years

The Carpenters – Close to You

Gabrielle Aplin – The Power of Love

Gregory and the Hawk – Boats and Birds

Full summary: Percy, having finally given up on love, decides to leave it all behind. He's too dangerous; too enticing for the monsters. He stays in his room for three days, determined to die quietly, until Aphrodite offers him the one thing he turned down and never thought he could have again; godhood. Once a god, Percy has to learn from his father, Zeus and Hades how to control his three domains: the Sea, Heroes and the Lost. It's a long and hard journey, one that Percy will not be able to face alone without slowly going insane from the responsibility of it all. But Aphrodite has a trick up her sleeve and will not let her favourite god go once she's made him the man he should always have been. She'll make him believe in love again, no matter how long it takes...

Pairings: (future) Triton/Sea!Percy, (future) Nico/Lost!Percy, (future) Jason/Hero!Percy.

Relationships: Aphrodite/Percy (creator/creation relationship)

A/N: Not much to say with this chapter. I was going to have a Percy/Aphrodite scene, though I changed my mind half way through. That's why it's almost painfully obvious that the two are acting in a slightly sexual way. In my defense, it still works because she is the goddess of beauty, so it's only natural for Percy to notice the things he does.

The ending is... Well, it's not my best. I wasn't too sure on how to end it, but the chapter was getting far too long to be any good. As such, I tried to end it at the best place possible. I also wanted to get this chapter out before I tried to add too much to it, though I clearly failed that seeing as the chapter itself is eight pages long and has over 5,000 words.

Oh well. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

I was nervous. I'd been to Olympus a few times before - mainly after the wars to be congratulated on how I hadn't died - but I'd never really been able to appreciate the ornate look of the world hidden in the sky. Everything was natural yet surreal; the marble temples and homes of minor gods and goddesses were hung with lush grape vines, beautiful tapestries and banners with their symbols and names embroidered on in gold. It was easy to guess that Athena had made them because each one was intricately designed with tiny scenes from the god or goddess' past, so small that you could only see them when standing close to them yet breathtakingly beautiful. I felt, deep inside of me, this was what everything should look like. The roads should be paved with white stone that glistened in the sun; the flowers that bloomed should be perfect and beautiful, carefully grown by goddesses themselves; the people should be dressed in togas of varying colours and the architecture should be beautiful yet precise. At the same time it was like I was walking through the town of a fairy tale world, because almost everything had an unearthly feel to it and seemed too sacred for me to touch.

Beside me, Aphrodite giggled. She was smiling at me, probably amused by how my body couldn't make up its mind. My head kept on snapping from left to right, my jaw dropping whenever I saw something amazing that I hadn't seen on my previous trips here– which happened quite often. At the same time, my body was shaking and my hands kept clenching at my sides, clearly showing how nervous I actually felt. Then again, who wouldn't be amazed yet frightened when on Olympus? It was beautiful, but there were so many gods and goddesses whom could easily kill me if I so much as looked at them the wrong way… I suddenly found myself rather glad that Aphrodite was walking closely next to me, her arm locked with mine as we moved slowly through the kingdom.

"Are you ready, Perseus? It's almost time."

Her eyes twinkled with anticipation and excitement, something that was so infectious I couldn't keep the grin from forming on my face as I nodded in answer. She untangled her arm from mine quickly, reaching her hand down to grasp my own as we drew closer to the main hall of the Olympians. Our fingers intertwined as we walked, her soft and subtle hand curling gently around my slightly larger and more calloused one. It was comforting to have her there; had I been doing this alone I was sure I'd have backed out by now. She was like the moral support I'd always needed and found in Annabeth, although there seemed to be something more in the way she clasped my hand.

As we reached the large golden door of the hall, I felt my breath catch in my throat. This was it. As soon as I walked in, there was no going back. Could I really do it? I hadn't really thought about it before in the depressed state Aphrodite had comforted me in. Now that we were here, I couldn't help but think about every single little detail and theory my mind could muster up. It started from something as simple as becoming a god of something humiliating and ridiculous, but slowly grew into images of me being used as a rather pathetic looking punching bag for Ares to use. I'd just gotten down to the awkward positioning of my ribs from the endless hits when I felt the beautiful goddess beside me squeeze my hand, her face a picture of worry.

"Is everything alright, Perseus? We could try again at a later date if it's too much right now…"

I shook my head, smiling up at her with my best smile as I squeezed her hand back in reassurance. She seemed to believe my cool exterior because she smiled back lightly, letting go of my hand to knock on the door three times before pushing the towering things open with a simple touch. She turned back to me and reached out for my hand, allowing me to gather the courage to walk forwards with her as our hands connected.

I would never get over the beauty of the Hall of the Olympians. It was plain and simple; circular with tall marble pillars that towered higher than the doors, home to at least ten different types of vine that curled and bloomed all over the place. The roof was so high up you had to crane your neck up at an awkward angle just to see it, but there were so many beautiful constellations that you quickly forgot about your sore neck and just watched as Orion ran across the sky, hunting all types of game with his two faithful dogs by his side. The thrones made a horse shoe at the centre of the hall, set up in twos to face all angles of the hall inside the circle.

My attention was quickly placed onto the gods and goddesses sitting on the thrones, all of whom were so big that I felt like an ant about to be squished by a group of nasty teenagers. At the front, facing the entrance of the hall and slightly higher than the others, were Zeus and Hera, both looking high-and-mighty yet constipated at the same time. Next to Hera was Hades, looking all and out bored to be where he was, slouching regally in his throne as he drummed his fingers on the obsidian arm rest. Beside him, both in a rather loud and heated conversation about music, were Hermes and Apollo, the former looking a little more angered than the latter about the fascinating topic of pop culture. Artemis sat next to her brother, her eye twitching in annoyance at his ramblings. In a way, I felt sorry for her. Apollo can't have been the easiest little brother to handle. At the end of the row was Ares, his head resting back against the chair in boredom as he half listened to the argument going on beside him.

My eyes flickered towards the other side of the room, quickly noticing my father, Poseidon, staring at me in confusion, his mouth agape. Dionysus was doing something similar in the seat next to him, though his mouth was shut and his eyebrow was raised in questioning instead. An empty seat followed that, one which I'm sure belonged to the goddess still holding my hand, especially since the seat afterwards was occupied by a very disgruntled Hephaestus. Athena was at the end of this row, her eyes glaring moodily at Ares as the god of war slammed his foot against the front of his throne as a method of finding something interesting to do. By the looks of things, it wasn't working.

Aphrodite finally stopped me as we reached the centre of the thrones, smiling lightly before walking up to her chair. In an instant she was as big as the other gods and sitting beautifully in her chair, though I couldn't for the life of me figure out how she'd done it so quickly without showing her true power. Maybe it was a secret perk of being a god? I didn't have time to think over it as a loud bang made everyone in the room look at the highest two thrones, silence taking over as Zeus stared at me like I was some sort of mangled experiment that should have gone right, yet didn't. Poseidon's eyes flickered from his brother to me in mild worry, but he soon smiled calmly and turned his attention back to his king.

I stood there for a few moments, aware of the scrutiny I was under, when Hera surprised me by standing up and gliding towards me. She stood there for a second hesitantly, then nodded and smiled, reaching down to pat my head. She knelt down and nodded to me, her eyes showing a light sadness as well as respect.

"You were my champion, Perseus. I have yet to thank you for that. So I shall do so now, by starting the newest debate on Olympus." She paused for a moment, then leaned lower, so only I could hear, "And I must tell you now; you are a very brave young man. Not because of your adventures and titles, but because of your loyalty to those you love, especially your mother."

Her eyes darted around the room, staring at each of her husband's bastard children before she stood back up and walked to her throne. For a brief second, I could see something in her expression that told me she knew exactly what I had been trying to do not even a day ago, and felt a small sense of pride when I realised that she had been complimenting me by subtly implying that I was better than _certain gods_ in the room.

When she was seated again, Hera looked around the room and made sure that she had everyone's attention before staring directly at me, a small smile playing on her face.

"Once, we gave Perseus the option of godhood. He immediately declined us, something that was humiliating at best. But he did it for the fact that he loved his mother and his friends much more than he loved the idea of power."

She turned to Aphrodite, nodding briskly at her in her usual stuck-up manner, allowing the young goddess to continue the story. She nodded in response, looking at me with a sad smile.

"Perseus has saved us more than once now, and I think we should reward him. Look at Earth and notice that he has left everything he has ever loved behind in order to keep those he holds close to his heart happy and safe. Now would be the best time to offer godhood once again."

It was silent for a few moments once Aphrodite had finished, only broken by a soft sigh from Poseidon once he had absorbed what the two women had said. He looked down at me, pride shining in his eyes, and nodded.

"He has more than proven himself. I will not go against an offer to keep my favourite son with me. I agree."

I smiled at my father, the smile turning into a grin when he smiled back at me. A hefty sigh sounded from next to him, revealing that Dionysus was prepared to speak.

"As long as it means one less brat for me to look after, I don't care. I accept."

A grunt sounded from across the room.

"Being able to beat the punk up for the rest of eternity sounds perfect. I accept."

Two mischievous blue eyes twinkled at me, and two heads nodded as one.

"We accept."

A silence, then softly,

"I accept."

Aphrodite smiled at Hera, excitement flowing from her every pore.

"I accept, naturally."

She turned to face Hephaestus, who gave a noncommittal grunt in return.

"Aye, as long as he doesn't disturb me. I accept."

Aphrodite squealed in excitement, leaning over to kiss her husband on the cheek. I was almost dead certain the colour he became was not a red I'd ever seen before.

"There are already too many men here. I do not accept."

Artemis nodded in agreement, her eyes landing on my apologetically. She didn't have anything against me, it was just that there was a simple imbalance already between male and female gods. Adding me in would make it worse. Athena didn't look anywhere near as apologetic, instead openly glaring at me in discontent. Her work may have been beautiful, but her attitude towards me was not.

Finally, everyone turned to Zeus and Hades, the only two gods to yet make up their minds. In all honesty, they were already outnumbered by the accepted votes, but it was polite to let them voice their opinions regardless.

Hades merely sneered at me in boredom, shrugging his shoulders.

"The brat's already going to be given it. I accept."

Zeus nodded his agreement, then surprised me by chuckling quietly. He stood up, walking carefully towards me before kneeling down in front of me so that we would be something near eye-to-eye.

"You have been offered godhood once again, child. Do you accept?" He paused for a moment, then smiled. "I know you have more sense than to turn us down twice, Perseus."

He was right. I stared up at him with respectful defiance - something that earned me a snort in response – and held my head high, hoping my voice would echo around the room in order to be heard and not break while I spoke.

"I accept."

The power in my voice surprised me, but I held gaze with Zeus regardless. He nodded his acceptance, then stood and turned his attention to the whole room, addressing the other gods and goddesses present.

"Perseus has accepted godhood. When we offered it to him before, we had one power in mind for him; the ocean. As time has passed, two other choices have presented themselves; heroes and the lost. Hecate has proven to me that it is possible for a single body to inhabit the powers of three separate gods. As such, Perseus shall be a tri-god; the first known Olympian to prevail over three things at once. The Lost, the Sea and the Heroes we create!"

A rumble of thunder sounded loudly above us, shaking through me and echoing around in my head. A dull noise filled my mind, heightening yet numbing my senses all at once, followed by a steady tingle that burnt yet soothed me. My fingertips seared with fire yet my chest ran cold, tremors coursing through my body in waves and lines and unsteady bursts. Despite the paradox of feelings, one thing stuck out overall: pain. It crept up from my feet, slowly trailing up my legs and past my hips in a wave of agony. From there, it marched through my torso and down my arms, setting each and every nerve ending on fire as it warred through to my heart. The final stretch through my brain felt similar to the wisps of a ghost's trail, encompassing the last inch of my body with a freezing grip.

After that, it was dark.

When I woke up, I was warm. A sweet heat encompassed my body, swamping through me like the blissful waves of the ocean. Something soft was curled up against me, my head resting on whatever it was as though it were a pillow. It clearly wasn't though; it was breathing, soft rises and falls of what I guess was their chest. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I managed to tilt my head up enough to gaze into the gentle face of my sweet protector, her lips pulled up into a small smile as one of her hands gently stroked up and down my arm, the other curled carefully under me to support my body against hers. She didn't move as I watched her, though her smile slowly grew bigger and bigger until it looked as if her perfect lips were going to split her gorgeous face, the pearly white teeth almost shimmering in the light. Eventually, as if she couldn't contain herself, she burst into gleeful laughter, slim arms wrapping around my waist so that she could embrace me in a tight grip, her head burying into the crook of my neck.

"This is it, Perseus. Finally… you are a god!"

Her exclamation confused me, though all too soon my memories came back to me. It took a while, especially at the memory of the excruciating pain which I couldn't help but flinch at, but I quickly caught up with her excitement and didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around her and squeeze. She was right; I _was _finally a god; the god of the Sea, the Lost and Heroes to be exact. I felt no different than I was when still mortal, but at the same time I could feel a subtle difference under my skin, like a coursing power that I had not yet tapped into. In a way, it felt completely natural.

Aphrodite soon pulled back from me, staying close so that our noses lightly brushed but leaning back just enough as to allow her hand to cup my cheek, her thumb brushing against my skin. She stared at me in wonder, her eyes travelling all over my body yet never truly leaving my eyes, as though she couldn't tell which she would rather look at. As she observed me, I couldn't help but notice how close she really was. Her legs were entwined with mine, long and slim and perfectly fitting against my now firmer calves and thighs. Her stomach, soft and smooth, pressed against mine in such a way that I could feel the heat and outlines of hers even through the fabric of the dress she wore, which I now noticed clung to her body in just the right places. Her firm breasts, those of which I had previously been sleeping on, were compacted against my strangely defined pecs; soft and inviting, feeling similar to velvet as the exposed parts from the V-neck of her dress swept over my skin as she moved. My eyes slowly trailed back up to hers, only just noticing that her sweet cerulean blue eyes were sparkling with an emotion I didn't know, her attention fully on me. Her hand swept through my hair, her expression soft and loving, as she breathed a soft exhale of wonder.

"You're beautiful… more so than I'd imagined."

It was at that moment that I understood the emotion swimming beautifully within her eyes; it was love. Not the love of a woman to the man she wanted to spend her 'forever' with, but more of the love between and inventor and their prized creation. She smiled lightly, her hand slowly moving from my hand, over my ear, past my jaw and finally settling on my cheek. As she touched me, her hands tender and her fingers light, I felt more at home than I ever had with my own mother. Being in her arms in this soft and gentle embrace felt like the most natural thing in the world to me, even though I had barely been awake for little more than an hour. My hand moved on its own accord, cupping over hers on my cheek and squeezing gently, my mind seemingly set on keeping my creator by my side. For once in my life, I felt complete.

Eventually, Aphrodite drew back from me, gracefully sitting up on the bed I had only just realised we were lying on. Clearly, I had been too preoccupied by my beautiful goddess to notice much else. As a sat up beside her, she drew away from the bed and skirted across the room, allowing me to have a look at something other than her and her perfection.

The room we were in was big. A rough estimate had me guessing that it was the same size as an entire house, if not just that little bit bigger. The bed was in the middle of the room pressed up against the east wall, covered in silk blue sheets and pale white pillows that flowed with every movement, reminding me of the way waves swept up against the shore and the foam it would leave behind. The frame itself was made of a dark and strong wood, polished to the point that it felt soft and smooth under the touch despite how tough and sturdy it felt when knocked on. There were for long poles that rose up to just kiss the roof, decorated with beautiful engravings of the ocean that curled around it towards the ceiling, supporting on it another piece of the dark wood. Attached to the wood was a long strip of golden silk, thin enough to allow some sight through the curtains but thick enough to provide something less than a blurry image with no exact shape. Across from the bed, pressed into the corner and standing proudly, was a marble dresser. The handles were made of a shimmering gold, the edges of the dresser being decorated with sapphires and emeralds, all of which glinted beautifully in the soft light streaming through the open windows in each wall, none of which containing any glass. A wardrobe was several feet away from the dresser, designed in much the same way, though instead of handles there were two large conch shells shaped into something that allowed some form of grip on them. Placed on the west wall were technological things; a plasma screen TV that barely took up a quarter of the wall – not because it was small, but because the wall was so big in comparison – several games consoles and an entire trophy case filled with games, plus things like a DVD player with all of my old DVDs and something I never thought I'd ever see again; an old video player, surrounded by my most favourite videos of all time. Finally, my eyes swept to the south wall, where I first noticed the open archway door with a soft black cloth over it, the boarder of which contained depictions of marine animals, heroes from days long past at their most memorable moments, and several ghost-like shapes that crossed and curved all the way around it, all done in a deep black marble. There were also a few weapons on the wall: a trident – smaller than my father's and a light aquamarine with shiny silver tips; Riptide and a beautiful golden shield with the head of a vicious looking dog on the front; several spears and nets that were either a royal red, purple or gold, and finally a small black dagger that curved at the tip with the metal of the blade moulded into a wave. Needless to say, it was nothing I had expected.

I unsteadily crawled towards the edge of the bed, unsure of how my body would react to my will now that I was different. To my great surprise everything moved as it once had, though this time there was an unnatural grace behind every movement I made that confused yet amazed me at the same time. I was quickly standing, staring at my legs in awe at the newly defined muscles I saw there, wondering how exactly they had suddenly appeared on my body when I had spent so long refusing to eat or train, when a soft giggle broke me out of my train of thought. A slight flush worked its way onto my face as I looked up, finally remembering that Aphrodite was still in the room, a look of amusement on her face as she walked closer to me, reaching out her hand to stroke gently against my cheek, a smile playing on her full lips.

"Perseus, there is much you have to learn. You are a god now; you have responsibilities far higher than those you had while still mortal. First, you are the god of Marine Animals, the protector of sailors and the keeper of the tides. You are also be a symbol of fertility; something that coincides with the life-giving sea. Your father has decided that you shall learn about this part of you with him in his kingdom, where you shall stay until you come to terms with your role. After that, it is off to the next god or goddess to help you with the other two parts of yourself."

She stared at me with pride as she spoke, something that told me she was more than pleased with the position I had ended up in. She'd only expected me to become one god; I had exceeded that through becoming three in one body. It was clear in her eyes that she expected something amazing from me, something wonderful, something that could change things for whatever turn she had in mind. In the past, this look had scared me; it only meant bad times were upon me. Now I feel only gratitude that she thinks so highly of me, even going so far as to be excited for whatever it was she had planned for me.

"When do I leave?"

I could feel the adrenaline building up beneath my skin, flowing quickly through my veins as excitement drove me. I'd be going to Atlantis, a place I'd always wanted to live in and be a part of. I'd finally be part of the sea as a god; truly and fully one with the ocean, not as a meagre demigod with the ability to breath underwater. Aphrodite chuckled at me, a twinkle in her eyes that told me she felt as excited as I looked, and eagerly muttered,

"Right now."

The first part of my journey to Atlantis wasn't interesting, so I won't go on about it. All I will say, though, is that a three hour journey to the ocean was not something I was ever looking forward to again, especially not when the feelings coursing through me caused me to behave similar to a typical teenage demigod; fidgety, whiny, annoying and constantly chatty in an attempt to have something else to do other than twiddle my thumbs and ask 'are we there yet?'. How Aphrodite put up with me is a mystery, but she simply laughed it off and took it all in stride. My beautiful creator loved me too much to find my company annoying, even when I was acting like a sugar-high child late at night after several horror movies.

When we got to the beach, the sweet goddess gave me a tight hug and a peck on the cheek, whispering to me to be careful and keep my eyes open to the things in front of me before winking at me as if she knew something I did not. Then she ran back to the car and drove off, her laughter still echoing around in my mind, confusion blinking to the forefront of my thoughts as her parting words troubled me.

'_This is my gift to you, Perseus; be careful and keep your eyes open to the things in front of you, no matter how subtle they may be.'_

I shook my head in an attempt to be rid of the strange goodbye, instead looking towards the vast blue expanse in front of me. As I walked towards it, a sudden worrying thought came to mind; how was I supposed to get to Atlantis? I paused just before the wash brushed against my toes, staring at the waters in mild exasperation. Aphrodite had not mentioned this part to me. What was I meant to do? Simply walk in and hope for the best? I sighed lightly, biting my lip as my eyes gently followed the lazy movements of the tide. I could easily swim in and find my way there, but… I wasn't a demigod anymore. What if I was my Hero form? How would I be able to breathe underwater, let alone manage to find my way to Atlantis? How was I even supposed to know which form I was in?

A squeal sounded a few feet to my left, causing me to turn in the direction of the sound. A small dolphin swam in slow circles around a medium sized rock, squealing and splashing as loudly as possible. Her efforts grew even louder once she noticed I was staring at her, swimming an inch closer to me before darting off behind the rock, appearing a few seconds later to repeat the process. It wasn't exactly what I'd been hoping for, but I had nothing else to go on, so I cautiously walked towards her and the sea. She cooed loudly before darting behind the rock again once I'd reached the waves in front of her previous spot, only this time she did not come back out. I had always been naturally curious, especially when it came to the sea, so I hesitantly stepped into the cool waters and waded towards her hiding place, worry building in my chest as I felt my clothes soak and the water push against me.

The closer I got to the rock, the harder it became for me to walk. It was like something was pushing as hard as it could against my chest, trying its hardest to stop me from getting any closer to the dolphin and where she hid, though the waves did not change at all. If anything, they got calmer. Eventually, when I was hardly five feet away from the rock, my body froze, the force on it stopping me in my tracks, no matter how hard I might try to keep going. As this happened, I tried to ignore the tingling feeling swamping through my legs, hoping desperately that they were not going to give out underneath me. To my utter horror, my legs slowly gave way to my weight, sending me slowly into the ocean surrounding me.

As I looked down, I felt a scream bubble up in my throat. I'd never been scared of the sea before, not even once, in my entire life, but now, as I looked down, I realised that I had waded out much further than I had meant to. There was no land for me to walk on anymore; I couldn't see the seabed. As my head went under, panic flared inside me, and I kicked my legs and flailed my arms as much as possible in an attempt to stay up. Just as I had felt something push against me before, I now felt it pulling down on my legs, the tingling feeling growing throughout my entire body until it tore through my senses, blinding and deafening me all at once.


End file.
